We've All Had Better Weeks
by rewob17
Summary: One of the team is kidnapped and the others must figure out why and where he is. Team angst and some whump involved.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Hawaii Five-O is not mine. It won't ever be except in my dreams. I own nothing so if CBS sues, all they'll get are the dust rhinos under my bed.

I began writing this between season one and two and real life is such that I just finished writing it. Hope it's not too disjointed due to the huge gaps in writing time.

This is just a teaser chapter. The rest of them are longer, I promise. Now, let's do this... enjoy.

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><p>Detective Danny Williams pulled his silver Camaro into a parking spot in front of Five-O headquarters just as Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett stepped out of his truck in the space to his left. Danny was a little concerned about the grin on his partner's face. When Steve grinned like that, it usually meant Danny was in trouble.<p>

"Why are you grinning like the Cheshire Cat?" Danny asked as he approached his partner.

"What?" McGarrett shrugged with arms out and mock indignation on his face. "Can't a man be happy on a beautiful Monday morning?"

"No." Danny shook his head. "What's so special about this particular Monday morning?"

"Well, let's see, we closed a big case on Friday. Then we had a whole weekend uninterrupted by any new cases…"

"And I bet a certain Navy officer had a free weekend." Danny interrupted.

Steve nodded, "Very good, Detective."

Danny was opening his mouth to respond when a gunshot sounded not far behind him. His gun was out of its holster as he started to turn and scan the surrounding area. As he turned, he felt something press into his neck before he felt the discharge of electricity into his body.

Danny felt his gun slip from his nerveless fingers as he collapsed in agony on the sidewalk and his body began to convulse. His last sight before unconsciousness claimed him was of McGarrett face down on the sidewalk with an ever-growing pool of blood under his head.

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><p>Oh, did I fail to mention that I like a little whump now and then? Well, stay tuned for more...<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Chin and Kono were in the situation room discussing their weekend when they heard the gunshot. They both sprang for the door and down the stairs as fast as they could. As they reached the parking lot, they could see several HPD officers running out of the building, weapons drawn. An HPD cruiser, lights flashing, roared around the corner barely missing a white cargo van as it exited the parking lot. Kono could hear dispatch chatter over the growing number of radios in the vicinity. She noticed a knot of officers standing over something on the sidewalk.

Chin pulled his phone out and was dialing a number as he turned to Kono and pointed towards the group, "I'm gonna call Steve; he's gonna want to know what's going on as soon as we know. Why don't you go check that out?"

As Kono approached the group, she heard Steve's ring tone and noticed his truck parked next to Danny's Camaro behind the officers. Her first thought was that he must have seen what went down and was in a foot pursuit with the suspect. Her second thought was that she must be wrong about what she was seeing as she finally made it to the knot of other officers to see what they were standing and kneeling next to, "Chin!"

The officers parted for Kono and then Chin as he sprinted over. An HPD sergeant knelt next to Steve and was gingerly reaching for a pulse while trying to avoid the blood and not move the commander, just in case. The sergeant held his breath as he feared the worst, but quickly reached for his radio and called in an officer down and requested an ambulance. He looked up at the crowd, "There's a pulse!"

Kono and Chin both breathed a sigh of relief as they knelt next to their boss and friend. Kono kept her hand on his shoulder as she glanced around the area. Officers were quickly dissipating and beginning to cordon off the area. She pointed at an object under Danny's car, "Isn't that Danny's gun?"

Chin went over to the Camaro and knelt in front of it. He reached under and pulled out Danny's gun. He stood up and looked around before looking back at Kono, "This isn't good."

Steve was starting to flinch and move a little as the ambulance pulled up and two paramedics rushed over with their equipment. Kono finally relinquished her place next to her friend as the paramedics began to work. She listened as they read off vital signs and assessed his condition. She watched as they placed a C-collar around his neck and gently rolled him to his back. Steve groaned but didn't open his eyes.

Chin finished giving some instructions to several HPD officers he had called over and then went to stand by Kono. "Why don't you ride with him? I'll be there as soon as I wrap this up. I've tried Danny's cell, but he's not answering. I'm having HPD pull up the surveillance footage. Call me if there's any news before I get there, and I'll do the same."

Kono nodded and set off after the paramedics. She climbed in and sat on the bench next to Steve. She noticed his hands were moving restlessly and looked to be grabbing for something. She grabbed one of his hands and leaned down, "Ssh, it's okay, Boss. I'm right here. We're getting you to the hospital."

Steve struggled all the more, reaching for the oxygen mask and fighting to open his eyes. The paramedic was trying with no success to get the oxygen mask back on as Steve became more and more agitated. Steve's eyes suddenly flew open and he practically launched himself off the gurney. Kono quickly held his shoulders and moved to make sure she was in his line of sight. "Steve, calm down."

"What happened?"

"We were hoping you could help us with that." Kono spoke quietly hoping to calm her boss. "Looks like you were shot in the head, but it's just a graze. We're on the way to the hospital to have you checked out."

Steve started to settle back onto the gurney but then bolted up again, "Danny! Where's Danny?"

Kono had been about to ask him the same question. She took a deep breath before answering, "We don't know."

"We're pulling into the hospital now," the driver informed them.

As the ambulance came to a stop and the back doors opened, Steve held his hands to his face trying to concentrate. The pain in his head made it hard to think straight, and he was having trouble remembering much of anything.

Kono followed the gurney as far as they'd let her. She watched as they wheeled him into the exam room and the door shut behind them.

Kono refused to go to the waiting area and stayed in the hallway outside the exam room. She tried not to pace and failed miserably. After what seemed like an eternity, a nurse came out, looking a little frazzled, "Are you his partner? He keeps asking for his partner."

"I'm with 5-0." Kono explained, "but I'm not his partner. He's missing."

"You can come in; maybe you can get him calmed down. He's on some pretty strong pain medication." She paused. "In all honesty, with the dose he's been given, I'm surprised he's even conscious. He's very agitated; the doctor would like to admit him for observation."

"I doubt that's going to go over very well." Kono observed.

"It did seem to make him more agitated. Why don't you come in and see if you can talk some sense into him. He really needs to rest. He's been shot in the head for goodness sakes."

Kono couldn't help but hear Danny's voice in her head saying, "_I always knew he had a hard head._" She followed the nurse in and went to lean over Steve who was lying on the bed. "Hey, boss."

Steve opened his eyes and looked around, "Kono, what happened?"

"We're not entirely sure. Chin is trying to get the video footage from outside the Palace to see if we can figure it out."

Steve started to sit up, "Let's go. I need to get back there and figure out what happened."

"I don't think that's a good idea," the nurse rushed over and tried to push him back onto the bed. "You've lost a lot of blood, we've just put in twenty stitches and the doctor wants to get some head x-rays to make sure there aren't any skull fractures or other damage we can't see."

"I'll be fine." Steve swung his legs off the bed and tried to keep from swaying as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"Boss," Kono rested a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you need a little more time. Get the head x-rays and let them check you over."

"I need to find Danny."

Kono nodded, "I know. We're working on it. Besides, you aren't going to be any help if you pass out on us."

Steve sighed, "Okay, I'll stay and get the x-ray, but I want to be out of here in an hour at the latest so get 'em done."

Kono watched as the nurse got things rolling. Two minutes later another nurse walked in with a blood tray and IV set up. They prepped Steve's arm and expertly hooked up the IV. The newly arrived nurse turned to Kono, "We're giving him some blood and plasma to help replace what he lost. It'll help some, but it would be best if we kept him here longer and could give him another unit."

Steve glared at the nurse, but was interrupted from saying anything by the door opening and admitting the doctor. "Commander McGarrett?"

"Yes." Steve sat up slowly, mindful not to stretch the IV in his arm.

"We're about to take you down for the x-rays. It shouldn't take too long, and then you'll be free to go. We're going to send a nurse along to keep an eye on you."

"I don't need a nurse to keep an eye on me," Steve protested. "I'll be fine."

"I'm not crazy about letting you out of here so soon after you came in with a gunshot wound to the head, but the Governor has ordered me to allow it. The nurse is my condition. If you want to walk out of here, you walk out of here with one of my nurses."

Steve shook the doctor's hand, "Fine. I can live with that." He pointed at the nurse who had been attending him from the beginning. "I want her."

The nurse looked up in surprise, "Why me?"

"You do your job efficiently and very well from what I see, and you didn't talk over me when explaining what was going on." He threw a glare at the second nurse. "Plus, you were smart enough to bring in Kono."

She nodded then, "I'll get some supplies."

"We're going to go get those head x-rays, and you can be on your way."

"I'll get an HPD cruiser over here to give us a ride," Kono said, taking out her phone.

"That won't be necessary." The doctor stopped her from dialing. "We're sending you back in an ambulance at the Governor's request. The media is already sniffing around and that will get you out of here with less notice."

"Sounds like a plan," Steve nodded and then made a mental note to not do that again.

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><p>Thank you to all who have reviewed and alerted this story. I was overwhelmed by the response after chapter 1 since it was such a short, little thing. Hopefully, you continue to enjoy. This story is totally written so I hope to post a chapter a day at least so as not to leave you in suspense too long! Again, thanks for reading.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

The crime scene tape remained around Danny and Steve's vehicles and around the area of sidewalk in front of them as the ambulance pulled up in front of the Palace. Nurse Karen stepped out of the back of the ambulance and quickly saw the blood stain on the sidewalk which she correctly guessed was from Steve's head wound. Steve slowly stepped out as well with Kono right behind him.

Steve also looked over at the spot on the sidewalk and then over at Danny's car. A foggy memory surfaced as he looked at the car. "We got here together this morning."

Kono nodded, "Did you see anyone else?"

Steve squinted in concentration, "That's all I can remember. I remember pulling in and next thing I know I'm waking up in the ambulance."

"Memory loss is common in head traumas. It should clear up in a few days." Karen explained.

"I don't have a few days." Steve ground out between clenched teeth. "We have to find Danny now."

"We will, Boss." Kono assured him. "Let's go see what Chin has."

5-0 Headquarters was busy with activity as McGarrett and Kono walked in with Karen following closely behind. There were half a dozen HPD officers sitting around the room with computer work stations set up in various areas and a few evidence boxes scattered about while Chin was busy in the center of the room speaking with someone on the big screen via webconference.

"Keep us informed. No matter what time you hear anything, we want to know," the man on the screen said.

"Thank you," Chin hit the button and the man's image disappeared from view. Chin turned to the others, "That was Danny's lieutenant in New Jersey. They're looking into his old cases to see if someone with a grudge has found him or anything."

"Good," Steve stopped short of nodding as his head was starting to not pound so much, he didn't want to start it up again.

"They've got a whole squad room of detectives ready to come down and kick some ass."

"They'll have to stand in line." Steve said without a hint of humor. His face was grim. "We don't know anything else?"

Chin gestured around the room, "HPD is looking into all of Danny's cases since he came, and any the two of you have worked on."

The conversation was interrupted by the doors opening to admit the governor trailed by two aides. The governor strode over to the 5-0 group, "Commander McGarrett, good to see you up and about. After my initial report this morning, I was afraid I was going to need a new head of the task force," he gestured to Steve's bandaged head, "How is your head?"

"It's fine, Sir." Steve glanced over at Karen. "Besides, apparently I have my own watchdog to make sure it doesn't fall off."

The governor nodded at the nurse, "Good. I may have to think of assigning her here permanently for all the trouble you people tend to get into. Any idea what's going on?"

"We're working on that sir," Chin gestured around the room. "We're looking into Danny's old cases both here and in New Jersey."

"So you're going on the assumption that Detective Williams was the target? Even though the commander here was shot in the head and the shooter presumably believes him to be dead?"

"But it's Danny that is missing, sir." Chin pointed out. "Why take Danny if you think you've already killed Steve?"

"It's probably best they don't know that I'm alive," Steve pointed out. "No telling what they'd do to Danny then... We don't even know what they're doing now."

During the conversation, Karen had been observing the activity around her while trying to concentrate on Commander McGarrett since she had been entrusted with his care. For as much pain as he must be in due to his injury, she didn't think he even noticed it as he concentrated on finding his partner. The worry that passed through his eyes when he spoke of what his partner's captors may be doing was almost enough to make her cry and as she noticed the look in his eyes that followed, she almost felt sorry for those people when the commander caught up with them. And then she thought that anyone who would cold-bloodedly shoot someone in the head from behind didn't deserve her pity.

Steve began to pace and glance at the smart table and what little information was displayed on it, "Who is behind this? And what do they want?"

Chin and Kono had taken up positions around the table but neither of them knew the answers their boss was seeking. They, too, stared at the table, willing it to give them answers.

"It's been how long since they grabbed Danny?" Steve looked at Chin.

Without looking at the clock Chin said, "Going on four hours."

"Too long," Steve muttered. "Too long. If someone grabbed him, why haven't they been in touch yet?"

"Commander, if you and your team will excuse me," The governor glanced around the room. "I believe you have the situation under control to the best of your ability right now. Please keep me informed of any developments."

"Of course, Governor." Steve acknowledged.

The governor turned as he started to walk away, "And, Commander, please make sure you take care of yourself and get some rest."

"I will, Governor." Steve watched as the governor strode out the door, trailing his two aides, "right after we get Danny back." he muttered.

As if he heard the muttered remark, the governor came back through the doors and headed straight for McGarrett. At first, Steve thought he had heard his remark and he was about to get taken off the case, but then he saw the governor had his phone to his ear.

Chin and Kono started working on the smart table as Steve pointed at it and mouthed "trace" while the governor approached. Steve stepped to the side and let the others work while he listened intently to the governor's half of the conversation. He motioned for Karen to come stand by him out of the way.

"... I understand that, but you have to understand the position I am in. You've already killed the head of my task force," a brief glance and raised eyebrows at Steve, "and taken a detective hostage. How do I know you can be trusted and that Detective Williams is still alive?"

Steve watched as the governor pursed his lips and nodded and then handed the phone to Chin.

Chin listened for a moment and then said, "And how do we know this isn't a trap? ...Yes, I understand... Yes... I will let him know... Yes"

As Chin disconnected and handed the phone back to the governor, Steve practically pounced on him, "What did he say?"

"He gave me an address. Says there's proof that Danny's still alive."

"He won't be there," Steve pointed out, "but take SWAT anyway."

"You're not coming?" Kono was surprised.

"Chin's lead. We can't run the risk that the guy's watching and this is just a test to see if I show up. We can't take the chance that he'll kill Danny if he knows I'm still alive. We don't know his game yet."

Chin nodded, "SWAT's been on stand-by since this morning so we're ready to go once we're suited up."

Steve handed him his op gear. "I"ll keep patched in from here."

Chin nodded and took the gear which included the necessary electronics so Steve could hear and see the raid as it happened. He attached his earpiece and microphone and made sure everything was connected. "I've rigged it so Jersey can watch and listen as well. They can't talk to us, but they can see what's going on."

Steve nodded his approval and watched as his team left the room.

"Commander, I really think you should sit and relax for a little bit." Karen urged him.

"Not yet," Steve looked at the large monitor. "Can't."

Karen nodded. She hadn't known the man long, but she thought she was starting to figure him out. He wasn't going to rest until he had some answers. If they weren't the answers he liked, she had a feeling that she'd have to force him to rest. She sensed that might be easier with the help of his team.

Steve reviewed the map of the area around the address they had been given by the kidnapper. It wasn't too far from Five-O Headquarters which made sense if he was trying to get Danny out of sight as soon as possible before they had a chance to react to the attack. That was one of the reasons Steve knew Danny wouldn't be there. Not if he was still alive.

The ten minute wait felt like hours to Steve as he tried not to imagine all the worst case scenarios. Problem was that he had seen a lot of horrible things in his years in the Navy and was trained in how to withstand torture so he knew what sorts of devastating things people were capable of doing to each other. And since he had no idea who this kidnapper was or what he wanted, he couldn't rule out that Danny was being tortured for information.


	4. Chapter 4

Chin surveyed the modest house as they arrived at the address the kidnapper had provided. He noted the For Sale sign in the front yard and the white van in the driveway. He was pretty sure it was the same white van that had been seen leaving the Palace shortly after the shooting.

SWAT team members spread out and took up position around the house, guided by hand signals from Chin. Chin and Kono led the remaining tactical team towards the front of the house. Two officers used the battering ram on the front door allowing Chin and Kono to swiftly enter and sweep the front room. The house was quickly cleared before Chin returned to a small den off the kitchen.

_"What've you got, Chin?"_Steve's voice came through Chin's earpiece."

Chin knelt by the wall next to an overturned chair, "There are some blood drops here." He looked at the chair, "What've we got here?"

_"What do you see?"_

Chin moved the chair to uncover a hole at the base of the wall. It was no larger than his clenched fist. Chin reached in and pulled out an object, "It's Danny's badge... wait, there's something else. It's Danny's phone and there's another one here, too. Looks like a disposable phone."

_"Bring it in. We'll call from here and see what this guy has to say." _

"I"ll have the lab techs go over this place with a fine-tooth comb. I'm disconnecting the feed. Kono and I will be back in a few minutes."

H

5

0

Again, the wait seemed interminable to Steve. He was not surprised that they hadn't found Danny though admittedly disappointed not to have the easy ending they always hoped for.

As Chin and Kono rushed through the doors of Five-O headquarters, Chin held up the phones and badge and headed to the smart table.

Steve picked up Danny's badge and held it tightly. He was going to make sure it got back to its rightful owner. He gestured Kono to Danny's phone, "Let's see if there's anything on there we need to see before we use the other one."

Kono quickly began looking through Danny's phone and found no calls, messages or anything to be concerned about. "There's nothing, Boss. The only new text is from Grace."

"When are they due back from England?" Steve asked, knowing that Danny's ex had taken Grace to visit her family for a while.

"Not for another two weeks, I think," Chin chimed in. "Are you going to call Rachel?"

Steve shook his head, "Not until we know more. I don't want to worry her or have her cut her visit short to rush back. Besides, no sense worrying Grace."

"We ready to do this?" Chin held up the disposable phone.

Kono took up position at the smart table, "The trace will start as soon as the call is connected."

Steve nodded and took a deep breath, "Make the call."

Tension filled the room as the phone began to ring. Once. Twice. Three times. Finally, the call was picked up, "I thought you would be calling soon."

"I need to talk to Detective Williams," Chin said.

"Soon enough. Soon enough," the gravelly voice said. "I think perhaps you should check the good detective's phone."

They all exchanged glances and Kono reached for the phone again as it signalled an incoming text message. She didn't recognize the sender, and when she opened the message, she found an internet link.

Steve nodded at her and motioned for her to put it up on the main screen. With a few taps she moved the ongoing trace to a side screen and a blank screen appeared on the main screen. It didn't remain blank for long. A picture soon appeared.

Kono gasped and Steve leaned forward on the table as if to get closer to the image on the screen. It was a close up of Danny's bruised and battered face. The image zoomed out to show Danny tied up to a pole of some sort. He had a large bruise and blood on the left side of his forehead with dried blood down the left side of his face showing where the head wound had bled. His tie was gone and his shirt was torn and dirty. There was a gag in his mouth but his eyes were clear as he tracked his kidnapper's movements which were off screen to the others.

Chin tried to sound calm and collected as he stared at the screen and spoke to the kidnapper, "I still need to talk to him."

An arm and hand appeared on screen and roughly pulled the gag out of Danny's mouth. Danny shook his head a little, glaring at his captor while the gag was removed. He swallowed, trying to get some wetness in his parched mouth, "Chin."

"Danny, you okay?"

"I've had better days," Danny kept an eye on the person off to the side.

"I hear ya, bruddah," Chin glanced at Steve. "There's someone else here that wanted to know how you're doing... Kamekona."

"Hang in there, Haole." Steve tried to keep the tremble out of his voice. "We've got your back."

As soon as Steve started speaking, Danny's eyes flew from his captor to the camera transmitting the video. His eyes got wide and he gulped, "Thanks... Kamekona. I didn't think I'd be hearing from you..."

"Very touching," the kidnapper interrupted, "but that's enough small talk for now."

"What do you want?" Chin kept the conversation going and glanced at Kono as she kept watch on the progress of the trace. She shook her head.

"I want..." the kidnapper paused. "I want my brother... what are you looking at? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?" the kidnapper screamed.

The rest of the team watched as a figure all in black came into range of the camera and began hitting Danny. They watched helplessly as he was pummeled like a punching bag. Danny tried to move but was held fast to the pole and took the majority of the blows to his midsection and sides. The kidnapper landed one last punch which connected with Danny's jaw and slammed his head into the pole supporting him.

Steve stared in disbelief as the kidnapper straightened up and calmly picked up the phone again and put it to his ear, sounding as if nothing had happened. "12 hours. You will hear from me again in 12 hours."

The line immediately went dead and the screen went black as the video was disconnected as well.

Five-O Headquarters had never been so quiet. Steve took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Kono, anything on the trace?"

"The signal is being bounced around all over the place. Same on the video, but I'll keep working."

Steve nodded and glanced around the room at the HPD officers and their ad hoc work stations, "Concentrate on cases involving brothers or any vic or perp who may have a brother they want to avenge. We _will_get this guy and take him down." Steve's voice was deceptively calm but his gaze was icy and those in the room that knew him, knew this was a side of Steve McGarrett that the kidnapper did not want to mess with.

Karen watched it all and felt the attitude in the room shift from worry before the call to outrage as they watched their fellow officer beaten to determination and hope as they now had something to go on, no matter how small that something was. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and walked over to the command center of the room as Chin motioned for her.

Chin glanced at Karen before turning to Steve and placing a hand on the man's arm. "We'll find him, but for now you need to rest."

Steve's head snapped up, a look of near betrayal in his eyes, "I can't rest until we find him."

"You need to try. You're no good to us if you collapse. Kono and I will keep working, and if anything pops, we'll let you know." Chin looked around at the HPD officers scattered around the room, "They need you on the top of your game. A lot of them are rookies and they look up to you. How's it going to look if you pass out on them?"

Steve sighed, "Fine, but I'm not leaving. I'll be in my office."

"And I'll come make sure you're resting, and give you something for the pain," Karen held up a hand to keep Steve from interrupting. "You may not think you're in pain right now, but believe me, as soon as you let yourself stand down for a moment, you're going to feel that hard head of yours."

Steve looked at her and gave her a half smile, "Now you sound like Danny."

"Good man," she nodded.

"Yes, he is." Steve abruptly turned and headed for his office.

Chin put a hand on Karen's arm as she started to follow him immediately. "Give him a minute before heading in there."

Three minutes later, Kono escorted Karen into Steve's office and then shut the door with a quiet, "Rest, Boss. We'll keep working."

Steve didn't turn from the picture he was contemplating on the bookshelf in the corner of the room as Kono returned to the outer office.

Karen quietly got out her kit with the medicine from the hospital and waited for him to turn around.

Steve put the picture of Danny and Grace that he had been looking at down and went over to his couch, "I don't want anything that's going to knock me out. I have to be able to be awake if something goes down."

Karen nodded and removed a syringe from her bag, "This is a mild sedative. It should allow you to relax without totally knocking you out. There shouldn't be any after affects once you awake, and it should take care of your headache quite effectively."

"Good." Steve laid down on the couch though didn't let himself completely relax yet.

Karen went over to the chair in the corner and sat down to keep an eye on Steve.

"You know you don't have to stay, right?" Steve glanced over at her. "You can go home. You don't have to stay with me forever."

Karen shrugged, "I'll stay for a while. The doctor would have kept you overnight for observation so I'll just stay for now. Besides, when you find your partner, I might come in handy. Besides, I want to help in any way I can even if I can't help you find him."

Steve nodded, "We'll find him tomorrow. We have to."

Karen nodded and watched as the sedative took effect and Steve reluctantly fell asleep before allowing herself to relax as well.

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><p>Well, we've seen Danny. Do we feel better now? Thank you all for reading, alerting and reviewing. You guys make me smile!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

In that brief moment between dreaming and being fully awake, Steve was content and relaxed. Then reality came crashing down around him and events of the last 24 hours or so flashed through his mind and his eyes flew open and he practically launched himself off of the couch in his office.

"Whoa, easy Commander," Karen gently took his arm and guided him back down to sit on the couch as he swayed momentarily. "Getting up so fast when you wake up is never a good idea, but certainly not the day after you were shot in the head."

"I was hoping that was all a dream," Steve scrubbed a hand over his face. "What time is it? Where's Chin? I need to..."

Karen cut him off, "You need to just sit a minute and let me take your vitals and check your head. Then, we'll head out and they'll update you. The last time Kono checked on you, she wanted to make sure you were awake for a briefing before the deadline is up."

"They have something?" Steve's hopes soared.

"This will go faster if you quit moving and just let me do this." Karen let just a hint of annoyance into her voice as she started to remove the bandage on the side of his head.

"Sorry," Steve mumbled. "I feel out of it... I didn't think I'd sleep that long. I'm not used to not being in the loop. I should have been helping my team."

Karen nodded as she gently removed the bandage and began to carefully inspect the head wound and stitches, "I understand, but you needed the rest and your team knew that. Besides, you should almost be back to normal. Almost. I still would rather you not push yourself too hard for a day or two."

"So what's the verdict," Steve gestured to his head.

"It's looking good. I think we can leave the bandage off now. Obviously, you still need to be careful for a while and make sure you don't receive any blows to the head or anything like that. I want to take your vitals before you go out there since I have a feeling this will be my last chance in a while."

Steve didn't deny her observation and tried to wait patiently as she took his blood pressure and pulse. When she finally released him with a nod, he did his best not to run out of his office and to the Smart table where the others were intently working.

"Hey, Boss," Kono was the first to notice him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. What have we got?"

"We believe we're making headway." Chin informed him. "We have narrowed down the list of possibles with what little information we got from the kidnapper. We've also been looking at the video to see if there's anything there we can figure out."

"Good," Steve nodded. "There's got to be something we can work with."

"I'm working on a rough profile of the kidnapper," a new voice chimed in behind Steve, "to help us narrow down the suspect list once we have it."

Steve turned to find Lori holding some papers in her hand, "I thought you were on the mainland at a wedding or something."

"I was," Lori shrugged, "but when Kono called to tell me what was going on, I booked the first flight I could. I got here a few hours ago."

"Thanks," he nodded and smiled at her. "So what have you come up with so far?"

"Right off," Lori began. "I'd say he's volatile, violent and unstable."

Steve nodded, "Even I had that much figured out. What else?"

"There's not much to go on but I would say the kidnapper feels wronged somehow. I would say he had a brother that got in trouble with the law and our perp is trying to get him out of it. Might be why he's taking it out on law enforcement and he didn't kidnap just anyone."

"So you don't think his target was Danny or me specifically? Any cop would have done?"

"Yes and no." Lori paced a little as she tried to explain. "Given that he called the governor directly, I would say he wanted to target Five-O to exert his control and show us that he was untouchable, but at the same time, I think he would have taken anyone if he wouldn't have been able to get at one of us."

Chin nodded, "Dumb luck that he managed to get at two people on Five-O so easily."

Steve shook his head and felt sick to his stomach, "I should have been more aware of my surroundings. This should never have happened."

"Hey, Boss, you can't blame yourself," Kono placed a hand on his arm. "It could have been any of us, and you were just walking in from the car. It's not like you were expecting trouble."

The look on Steve's face told the others that he wasn't buying it, but they let it go for now.

"We're still checking into cases the two of you have worked on but it's a long shot if you weren't targeted deliberately," Chin filled him in.

The room became unnaturally quiet as the disposable cell phone started to ring and all the officers in the room quit talking. Kono quickly began typing in commands to begin a trace on the call as well as the video feed they were getting once again.

Steve stepped closer to the image on the screen and studied it intently as Chin reached for the cell phone. Steve was relieved to see that it didn't appear as if the kidnapper and done any more damage to Danny.

"Lieutenant Kelly," Chin answered the call. "I need to speak with Detective Williams."

The kidnapper chuckled, "You can see for yourself that he's fine. I don't think you need to talk to him."

"You want us to help you," Chin reasoned. "It would help if you'd let us talk to our man. We can see he's alive, but we'd still like to talk to him."

They watched on the video as once again the gag was removed from Danny's mouth and the phone was held up to him so he could talk.

"Danny, you okay?" Chin asked.

Danny struggled to clear his throat and his voice was raspy when he was finally able to speak, "Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink."

The kidnapper snatched the phone away and again roughly replaced the gag before moving out of view of the camera. "Satisfied?"

"It's a start. It might help if you gave him water," Chin suggested. "We'll be able to make more progress on what you want if you show that you're taking care of him."

"I'll consider it, but I want to know what's going on with my brother."

Chin looked at the others in confusion but tried to sound confident when he spoke, "I'm not sure what you mean about your brother..."

"You don't know what I mean! You don't know what I mean! How can you not know what I mean?" The kidnapper's voice got louder and higher as he screamed into the phone.

"Sir, calm down," Chin tried to reason with him.

"I will NOT calm down until you tell me what you're doing to get Nick released. You better have an answer for that the next time I call." The line suddenly went dead followed quickly by the video feed.

Stunned silence filled the room as the video screen once again went dark. Steve finally broke the silence as he addressed the officers sorting through files and working on the suspect list, "Use what he's given us. The brother's name is Nick, and it sounds like he's in prison. I want to know this guy's name and what's going on."

"He's devolving," Lori said as she stared at the now-dark screen. "He hasn't really told us what his demands are, but he thinks he has. He thinks we know who his brother is and what we're supposed to do for him. I think something set him off recently and he may even have had a psychotic break. That would explain why some things in his plan seem to be well thought out while others make no sense and why he goes into a rage over what he perceives as slights to him."

"We have to find Danny," Steve leaned forward on the Smart table.

Lori nodded, "The more he devolves, the more unstable he becomes and the more danger Danny is in."

Steve straightened and looked each of his remaining team members in the eye, "We find him today. I don't care how, but we find him today."

* * *

><p>For those of you who don't like Lori, just hang in there. I wanted her in the story to do the profile for what it's worth. My only experience with profiling psychopaths is from watching Criminal Minds. And how many of you want to see that crossover - H5O and Criminal Minds? Can you imagine Scott Caan, Alex O'Laughlin and Shemar Moore together on one show? Sigh. There I go daydreaming again.<p>

Again, thank you to all who are reading, alerting, reviewing and all that good stuff. I am trying to respond at least once to everyone leaving a review. If I've missed you, I'm sorry, but I sincerely appreciate all the reviews and kind words I am receiving! You guys are the best!


	6. Chapter 6

Several hours later, Steve was still pouring over computer files and paused to rub his forehead tiredly. His head was starting to throb, but he sure wasn't going to tell Karen or any of the team lest they make him take a break. He decided to go check with the HPD officers and see if anyone had anything resembling a lead. It was getting late, and he was still determined to find his partner today.

As Steve emerged from his office, Chin beckoned him over to the Smart table, "We are working on narrowing down our list of possibilities and have some good leads. A lot of the HPD officers that were here are out checking out these leads."

"Good," Steve nodded. "I'd like to have a name for this guy the next time he calls."

Chin motioned to a rookie in the corner who was hunched over a computer working intently, "You might want to go check on Robertson. He's fresh out of the academy and might need a pep talk."

Steve nodded and tried not to look too intimidating when approaching the officer. No sense scaring the rookies when they were trying to help, "Officer Robertson, isn't it?"

Robertson startled slightly and then jumped to his feet as he saw who was addressing him, "Yes, sir."

Steve briefly thought the young man might salute him and gestured for the rookie to take his seat. "You're pretty new out of the academy, aren't you? I don't think I've me you before. Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-O."

Robertson shook Steve's hand, "Oh, yes, sir, I know who you are, sir."

"Please, you don't have to call me 'sir.' Steve is fine or McGarrett if that works for you."

"Yes... Commander,"

"That works, too," Steve let a small smile escape at the rookie's obvious discomfort with being too familiar with the task force leader. "So how long have you been out of the academy?"

"Three weeks, sir."

Steve nodded and moved a chair over so he could sit and talk to the officer. "Don't worry, Robinson, stuff like this doesn't happen very often. Thank you for helping on this. It'll mean a lot to Danny when he hears how many people were looking for him."

"Yes, sir," Robertson nodded and nervously looked at the computer he was working on. "Commander..."

"What is it?" Steve prodded as the young officer hesitated to finish his thought.

"Do you think the kidnapper's brother might be in a jail on the mainland? Or was in jail on the mainland? I mean, other than New Jersey"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we've been searching through records thinking there was a connection with either Detective Williams or yourself, and then we switched to looking at people who had a brother named Nick in prison here... and his old squad is looking into New Jersey just to be on the safe side."

Steve nodded, "Go on..."

"I know it's a lot more ground to cover, but we can't afford to overlook anything."

"You're right, we can't," Steve agreed. "Do you have an idea where to start?"

"Well, Commander," Officer Robertson brought something up on his computer. "This file caught my eye, and I might be off base but..."

Steve leaned over to read what was on the screen. Thirty seconds after he started he stood up and gestured to the center of the room, "Can you send this information to the smart table?"

"Yes, sir," Officer Robertson's voice was enthusiastic, glad to be of help finally.

"Send it and then come over and outline what you're thinking for the rest of us." Steve quickly strode over to the rest of his team and began to fill them in on his conversation with Officer Robertson.

Chin and Kono began glancing at the data and organizing it on the various screens surrounding them as Robertson joined them.

"It's your show, Rookie," Steve gestured to the information. "Tell us why this one popped out at you."

"Actually, at first it didn't jump out at me and I had put it aside as a dead end, but then I noticed the first date," he pointed and Kono zoomed onto it on the screen.

"That's yesterday's date," Chin pointed out.

Robertson nodded, 'One year ago yesterday Nicholas Ryan Cooper was arrested in Chicago, Illinois on a drugs and weapon charge. I'm still not sure if I'm on the right track, but I just have this feeling."

"Why is that?" Chin wondered.

"Look at the second date." Again, Kono zoomed where the officer was pointing. "Three days after being arrested, Nick Cooper, was killed in prison. Shanked by another inmate. That's why I set it aside at first. Nick Cooper is dead, but now I think it might be worth looking into."

Steve nodded, "I think you're on to something. He pointed at something at the bottom of the page. "Kono bring that section there up."

Kono brought up another section of the form and gasped as she read out loud what it said, "The body of Nicholas Ryan Cooper was claimed by his brother, Anthony Michael Cooper of Honolulu, Hawaii."

"That's got to be him," Chin muttered. "It's a lot of coincidence if it's not."

Lori nodded, "It would explain a lot. If Anthony Cooper is our kidnapper he kidnapped Danny on the anniversary of his brother getting arrested and most likely, that anniversary is what caused him to snap. He thinks he can change the past and get his brother back."

"Which means we have to find Danny before the three days are up between the arrest and his death." Steve pointed out and looked to Lori for confirmation of his suspicions. "Right?"

"Right."

Steve paced around the Smart table as he began to formulate a plan and decide what actions to take, "Chin, the next time we get a call I want you to try to use this information. Let's get some idea if we're on the right track. Kono, track down what Anthony Cooper has been up to for the last year. Lori..."

Steve was interrupted by the sudden sound of the disposable cell phone ringing. Kono quickly moved the information currently on the screens aside as the video feed once again came on.

This time, Danny did look worse for wear. He still had a gag in his mouth but there was blood on the cloth and down his chin onto his shirt. He was also sporting a black eye and blood obscured most of the left side of his face. He was noticeably hurting and trying not to show that to his kidnapper, but his team knew him too well.

"Detective Kelly," Chin answered the phone his voice steely as he looked at his friend's image on the screen.

"I want to know what progress you're making," the kidnapper demanded.

"I want to talk to Detective Williams, Mr. Cooper," Chin ventured and everyone in the room held their collective breaths as they waited to see if the kidnapper would correct the name.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, big surprise."

The phone was held to Danny's ear again and the cloth ripped from his mouth so he could speak, "Hey, Chin." Danny's voice was quiet and hard to hear, his voice raspy and rough.

"Hang in there, Danny, we're getting closer."

Danny nodded, "I know, but would you mind hurrying up a bit?"

Chin couldn't respond as the kidnapper took away the phone, "Now, what have you got for me?"

"We're working on that Mr. Cooper. You know how overworked they are in Chicago."

"Yeah, I do," he nodded. "And I want to talk to Nick. Make sure he's okay."

Chin paled a little and paused before responding, "I'll see what I can do."

"Okay, I..." he paused and cocked his head as if listening to something. "What is going on up there?" He threw down the phone and ran out of the room, forgetting to turn off the camera that continued to transmit its signal.

"Kono, tell me you're getting something," Steve urged.

Kono's fingers flew over the Smart table and responded without looking up, "Working on it. If I could just get another minute or two."

Steve stared at the screen, "Keep working; I don't know how much time we've got. I don't like this."

"I wonder what's going on," Chin muttered. "Where did he go?"

Steve watched Danny on the screen as his body slumped as soon as the kidnapper was out of sight. He took a deep breath and then stood upright again and Steve could see his shoulders tighten as Danny tested whatever restraints were holding him to the pole. Danny's eyes roamed the room and soon settled on the camera.

"I wonder if he knows it's on?" Chin said as he saw Danny look at the camera.

"Can you zoom in on him?" Steve leaned in towards Danny's image, wishing his partner could see him and know they were working on getting him out of there."

Chin's fingers moved across the table and the image soon zoomed in on Danny's face. His lips were moving. "I think he knows it's on."

"Lori, write this down as I say it," Steve glanced over to make sure she heard him. At her nod he began to repeat what Danny was mouthing to the camera, "Boat. Steve, we're on a boat. Can't see outside so don't know where but I'm on a flipping boat so c'mon, Steve, and do your SEAL thing already and get me the hell off this thing. You better be reading my lips, you animal. I. Am. On. A. Boat."

"Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink," whispered Chin. "It was a clue."

On the screen, Danny licked his lips and swallowed hard and began again. "You hear me, Steve? I'm on a boat in the middle of the frickin ocean and you better get your ass out here and find me. I don't know how much longer I can do this. The psycho up there is starting to lose it, man. It's just a matter of time before he totally flips out on me so hurry the hell up and get out here already."

Danny's eyes flickered to a spot behind the camera and then back again. His face was even more urgent than before and Steve could almost hear him as he stared intently at the camera again, eyes boring into Steve's soul, "I'm on a boat, Steve. If you can't find me in time at least do me a favor... tell Grace her Danno loves her."

Steve's voice trailed off and he tried not to choke up at Danny's parting 'words.' He watched as Danny straightened as best he could and Anthony Cooper appeared once again. Steve's hands curled into fists as he saw that Cooper had a steel pipe in his hand and headed straight for Danny.

Kono and most of the room gasped as Cooper began to beat Danny with the pipe. Danny did his best to move his body so the blows landed on his shoulders or arms but several hit him in the abdomen and sides. One particularly vicious swing caught him in the right leg and it gave out on him, causing him to slump and eventually slide to the floor.

Cooper continued to savagely beat Danny for what seemed to his friends to be an eternity. And then, just as suddenly as he began, he stopped. He threw the pipe down, turned and left the room as quickly as before. Once again, he failed to disconnect the camera feed. Kono's fingers flew over the computer table and brought up a still shot of the man's face as he exited the second time. They finally had a usable picture of Danny's attacker.

"Good job, Cuz." Chin nodded.

It took the facial recognition software no time at all to compare the image with Anthony Cooper's driver's license. "It's a match," Lori stated.

Steve nodded and looked at his team surrounding the table before his eyes returned to the still form of his partner on the screen. "I want to know everything there is to know about Anthony Cooper. Chin, get HPD over to his house and see if there's anything there that will help us find them. I want to know if Cooper has a boat or how he would get his hands on one. We have to find him."

The room buzzed with activity as officers finally had a solid lead and direction to take. Kono and Lori worked intently at the smart table while Chin contacted SWAT about checking Cooper's house. Steve gestured to Officer Robertson, "Robertson, come with me a minute."

Robertson looked a little nervous as he followed the commander into his office especially as Steve closed the door behind them.

Steve's eyes bored into Robertson's as he cleared his throat and tried to find the words he needed. He had to make a conscious effort to not look out at the video screen still showing Danny slumped over. "Robertson, I want to thank you. Without your hunch, we wouldn't know who this maniac is. When this is all over, I'll make sure you get a letter of commendation from me in your jacket. Hell, I'll get you one from the governor if you want it."

Robertson blushed at the praise, "Thank you, sir, but that's not why I'm helping."

Steve nodded, "I know, but you deserve it anyway. If you want in on the take-down, I'll arrange it with your supervisor."

Robertson nodded, "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it and would very much like to be involved."

"Good. Let's go get this guy." Steve clapped him on the shoulder and headed back out to the command center.

"Boss, I think I have him!" Kono practically yelled as her fingers continued to fly over the smart table.

"Great, Kono," Steve looked at his partner on the screen, still unmoving and wished he could project his thoughts to his partner, _"Hang in there, Partner. We're coming."_Steve turned his attention back to Kono, "What have you got?"

"Since the video is still transmitting, I've been able to track down its location. Sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

Kono pulled up a graphic and outlined a section, "I can't pinpoint the location exactly but I have it narrowed down to this area here."

Steve shook his head, "That's gotta be 5 square miles of ocean."

"Yeah," Kono sounded slightly defeated. "I might be able to narrow it down more."

"You did good. It's something to start with. Any chance you can pinpoint it as we get closer?"

Kono shrugged, "Maybe."

Steve stared at the screen as a rescue plan began to form, "I'm gonna call the Coast Guard..."

"Look!" Chin interrupted and pointed at the screen where Danny was slowly beginning to stir.

"Thank God," Lori whispered.

Steve watched as Danny tried to sit up and just as quickly settled back down on the floor again, his face twisted in pain. He tried to curl into a fetal position but was denied even that small comfort as his right leg caused him to shudder in pain again. Soon, his eyes were the only things moving as if to assess the situation.

Steve hated to walk away from his partner even if it was just his image on the screen, but he had to move and had to get his plan in place. "Alright, people, let's work on getting him out of there. I want updates in ten minutes. Chin, keep on top of things. I'm going to start working on how to get him out of there, and I'm starting with the Coast Guard."

"We're on it," Chin declared while Kono and Lori nodded.

"Karen," Steve motioned the nurse over. "I know you can't do anything for him from here, but could you just keep an eye on Danny? Assess his condition or whatever you can do from this distance. Can you read lips?" At her nod, he continued. "If he says anything more, write it down. Anything can help us even if it doesn't seem like it." Steve didn't say it because he knew it would sound stupid, but he just didn't want Danny to be alone.

"Glad to be of help," Karen nodded, snagging a pad of paper and pen. "And depending on what you have in mind for a rescue, I wouldn't mind going along to see if I can help him once you have him back."

Steve nodded, "Thanks. And thanks for sticking around. You didn't have to."

"My grandfather was HPD and I have a brother in the California Highway Patrol so this is almost like helping family." Karen informed him.

Steve threw a glance towards his partner one more time before striding to his office and closing the door. He had a rescue to plan.

* * *

><p>I can't say this enough - thank you to all who are reading and reviewing! You guys are so awesome. I love hearing your responses to the story and hope you continue to enjoy. I would love to know what you think about this chapter. Thanks!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Shortly before daybreak, Steve stood on the helicopter pad at the Coast Guard station. A small Coast Guard cutter had already left filled with Chin, Lori, Officer Robertson, a handful of HPD SWAT officers, Karen and Dr. Malia Kelly on board. When Chin had asked his wife about accompanying them in case she was needed to help Danny, she joked about being Five-O's personal doctor. When Chin didn't laugh but kissed her and told her to get some supplies, she realised that when she married him that was precisely what she had become.

When working out the rescue with the Coast Guard, it had been decided that the cutter would leave with the bulk of the rescue force while Steve and Kono would leave a little later in a helicopter. The cutter could sneak up on Cooper's boat in the early morning dark, but the helicopter would be heard before it was close enough to effect a rescue so Steve waited. Steve was not good at waiting.

"Hey, Boss," Kono approached with her sniper rifle slung over her shoulder. "Almost time."

Steve nodded and attempted a smile. His gaze returned to the ocean where the first hint of color was starting to seep into the sky. His eyes scanned the skies as he spied some clouds building as well, "When is that storm front expected to hit?"

"They're still saying mid-morning," the life-long surfer looked at the waves and shrugged. "I don't think it's going to wait that long. Looks like the waves are starting to break harder."

Steve nodded, "That's what I was thinking. We have to get this bird in the sky before the pilot grounds us due to weather. That is NOT an option today."

Kono nodded. She was almost as anxious to get moving and find their teammate and friend. She was about to ask if he wanted her to go find the pilot when she noticed two Coast Guard figures coming their way.

"Commander McGarrett, I'm Captain Lewis and this is Captain Smith," he shook Steve's hand. "We're going to take you out to find your man."

Steve nodded crisply and hopped in the back of the helicopter with Kono. They adjusted their headphones and clipped their safety lines to the rings next to their open side doors while the two pilots prepared the chopper for takeoff.

"You guys set?" Captain Lewis asked.

"We're ready," Steve informed him.

"Good. Let's go. We're not liking the looks of that storm that's building."

Steve nodded, "I know, but we have to get our man."

Captain Lewis glanced over his shoulder, "I'm not ending this unless absolutely necessary and that won't be before we get you to your man."

Steve smiled at the man gratefully, "You help me find him, and I'll swim back if I have to."

"I don't think it will come to that," Lewis shook his head.

Steve adjusted his kevlar vest and gripped the bar by the open door tightly as he peered out over the water hoping and praying they'd get to his partner, his friend, in time.

Kono keyed her mic, "Hey, Chin, you out there?"

_"Right here, Cuz."_

"We just took off. Any sign of them?"

_"None yet, but we just got to the start of our search perimeter. We'll keep you updated. Stay safe." _

"No worries, Cuz."

Steve listened to the quick exchange between the cousins and was grateful, not for the first time, of his team. Now, they just had to get Danny back and make the team complete once again.

Several minutes passed in relative silence considering they were in a helicopter before Captain Lewis informed them they were over the start of their own search coordinates.

"Kono, any luck narrowing down that position?" Steve pointed at the pad she was using to track the video signal.

"Nothing yet, Boss." Kono's eyes darted from the pad to the open expanse of ocean.

"Not to alarm anyone," Lewis chimed in over the headset. "But winds are picking up and that storm is moving in fast. HQ is reporting lightning in the area and are threatening to pull us back in."

"We need more time," Steve urged. "We're close. I can feel it."

Lewis nodded, "No worries, Commander."

Chin's voice broke through Kono and Steve's headset, "_We've got movement on Danny." _

Kono quickly switched views on her pad and brought up the still transmitting video feed. Steve leaned over Kono's shoulder to see what was going on.

"We have to be close," Steve realized as he watched Cooper rush towards Danny and quickly undo the restraints, freeing him from the pole. "He's heard us coming. We have to find him. Now!"

Steve turned to look back out his door, straining his eyes to catch any glimpse of a boat that contained his partner.

"We just lost video feed," Kono informed him. "Cooper knocked it over when he went by with Danny."

Steve nodded without turning around. "He's probably taking him topside."

It was Kono's turn to nod, "He had a knife on him, Boss."

Steve turned and looked at her and gave her a curt nod as she readied her sniper rifle and then turned back to searching.

"There!" Captain Smith pointed. "I saw something at 3:00."

Without a word Captain Lewis banked the helicopter to check out what Smith had spotted.

Steve leaned over to get a better look. Pretty soon, they were close enough to see the figures on the boat, "That's him! Kono, you ready?"

"Ready, Boss," Kono calmly hefted her sniper rifle.

"Don't take the shot unless you get a really clear shot. With these winds and the chopper downdraft, it's going to affect the shot."

Kono nodded, "Gotcha." She knew her boss had confidence in her, but right now all he could do was give orders - even unnecessary ones she already knew.

"Chin, how far out are you?"

_"Captain says seven minutes." _

Steve hoped they had that long as he watched Cooper push Danny across the deck. Danny was limping heavily and not moving well. His hands were still secured behind his back and Cooper had an arm looped around the detective's neck while the other hand held a large knife to his neck. If not for Cooper supporting him, Steve was pretty sure Danny would collapse.

Lewis brought the helicopter closer to the boat and around so Kono's side was facing the boat. Kono was kneeling at the edge of the door with the sniper rifle aimed towards the boat.

"Kono?" Steve asked.

"No shot yet, Boss. That boat is sure getting tossed in these waves. Danny's going to have to be well clear for me to get a shot."

Steve grimaced. He'd been afraid of that. "If Danny gets clear, you take the shot. Got it? We can't let him run."

"Right, Boss."

Steve watched as Cooper started to walk backwards, dragging Danny with him. He was waving the knife and shouting though no one could hear him over the helicopter noise and thunder from the approaching storm. Steve noticed that Danny's face was pinched with pain but he could see his eyes roaming the area to see if there was anything he could do.

_"Steve, we're five minutes out." _Chin's voice came over his earpiece. _"What's going on?"_

Steve didn't answer Chin. He was watching Cooper drag Danny and finally realized what was going on. "Damn! Get us as close as you can." Steve ordered as he threw off his vest and started to undo his shoes.

"Boss, what are you doing?" Kono asked. "You're not..."

"He's going to throw him overboard," Steve said as his gun and badge joined the pile of discarded clothes. "Kono, you take that shot as soon as you have it. Chin, make sure you guys have a life boat ready for us.

"Are you nuts?" Captain Smith wondered from the front of the chopper. "You can't jump out of a helicopter into these waters."

_"You're gonna what?" _Chin's voice was shrill in Steve's ear.

"Chin, just make sure you get that boat here." Steve ordered.

"I can't let you do this." Smith turned and looked at Steve.

Steve returned the Coast Guard officer's gaze. "This is the only way. I've done this before. Get me closer."

_"Be careful, Brah. We got your back."_

Steve removed his earpiece and watched as Cooper succeeded in dragging Danny to the back of the boat and to the edge. Danny struggled but after two days of physical abuse and no nourishment, he was no match for Cooper, especially when Cooper knocked him upside the head with the hilt of the knife. It was enough to stagger Danny and before anyone could do anything, he was heaved over the side of the boat and into the turbulent water.

Steve didn't hesitate as he watched his partner tossed overboard and very calmly stepped out of the helicopter and dropped into the ocean below. As he fell, he heard the crack of Kono's rifle.

"Well, damn," Lewis muttered, "I didn't think he was serious about swimming back."

When Steve's head broke the surface, he drew in a deep breath and searched for his partner. The waves were getting stronger and light rain was starting to fall, making visibility difficult. After what seemed like an eternity, he caught a flash of white and started swimming towards it.

When Danny hit the water, he had to fight down a surge of panic. The shock of the salt water on his injuries helped clear his head even as the pain increased. As he managed to roll onto his back and attempt to stay afloat, he could have sworn he saw someone jump out of the hovering helicopter. He didn't take the time to contemplate it as all his energy went into keeping his head above water and keeping himself from sinking beneath the waves while his hands were still secured behind his back.

Steve kept his eye on his target as he swam. Thankfully, he was going with the current rather than fighting the rough waves and it took him just under a minute to reach Danny. It was perfect timing as Danny started to sink under the water just as Steve reached him. Steve grabbed his partner and got an arm around him to support him. He leaned in so he could talk into Danny's ear, "I gotcha, Partner. Just let me do all the work. You're okay."

Danny opened his mouth to respond but got a mouthful of saltwater instead. He settled for nodding and relaxing into his partner. He was too exhausted and sore to do anything else.

Steve realized they were drifting away from the boat which would make it difficult for Chin and the others to find them so he tightened his grip on Danny and started to steer them back to the boat. He grabbed a hold of the ladder on the aft of the boat and looped an arm around a rung to keep them in place. He didn't want to drag Danny back on board if Cooper was still a threat.

Kono barely registered Steve's departure from the helicopter. She hesitated to shoot Cooper as he threw Danny overboard, but as soon as he straightened she took the shot. She meant it to incapacitate not to kill, but it was hard to tell where her shot hit as the helicopter was buffeted by the wind just as she squeezed the trigger.

"Whoa," Lewis exclaimed from the front. "We're gonna have to head back to base. We're not going to be able to keep this bird in the air much longer with winds like this and that lightning is getting worse. Sorry."

"Can you drop me off on the other boat?" Kono wondered with urgency in her voice. "I have to help my team."

Lewis and Smith exchanged glances, "We can try to get you close enough to our boat. That will be easier than trying to get you on this one, and they'll be others there to help you."

"Let's do it." Kono decided. She could see the Coast Guard cutter approaching and could see activity on the deck as they prepped a lifeboat.

Chin watched as the helicopter approached and saw Kono in the open door. He saw her unhook her lifeline and knew she was going to be joining them. He motioned for the nearby officers to look sharp and watched as the helicopter hovered as close as it dared and she jumped off. He shook his head at his cousin as she regained her feet and waved at the helicopter which promptly headed towards shore.

Kono looked around and soon found Chin. "Hey, Steve's in the water with Danny. Last I saw they were swimming towards the boat."

Chin nodded, "Captain says we'll be there in three minutes. What's the status on Cooper? Any idea?"

"I took a shot after he threw Danny over," Kono shook her head. "But I don't know where I hit him. The helicopter got jostled and I didn't see the shot hit home."

Chin nodded, "I'll take a couple of the SWAT guys with me in the boat to get Steve and Danny just in case. We'll have to board and secure the boat anyway. It hasn't gone anywhere so I'm betting you got him."

One of the Coast Guard crew came over and motioned towards the life boat, "We're ready to go when you are."

Chin motioned for three SWAT officers to join him as they boarded the life boat and started towards the other boat and the Five-O pair hanging on to the back.

Kono and the rest of the SWAT officers along with Officer Robertson, took up position at the front of the cutter, weapons ready.

Steve readjusted his grip on both the ladder and his partner. "Hang on, Danny. Help is on the way." When Danny didn't respond, Steve tried to get a better look at his partner. "Danny? Can you hear me? Danno?"

Danny jerked and slid a little in Steve's arms. His head briefly ducked under water before Steve hauled him up so his head was resting on Steve's shoulder. Danny coughed and moaned as the movement caused a fresh wave of pain throughout his body.

"Sorry, Danno," Steve soothed. "Hang in there. Chin's coming. He's going to get us out of here. Just hang on." Steve hoped it wouldn't take long; he was wearing out quickly fighting the waves and supporting his partner, but giving up was not an option so he continued to hold on and wait for his backup.

As the Coast Guard rescue boat came alongside Cooper's boat, the pilot gently steered it in front of Steve and Danny. Chin quickly tied the two vessels together. Two SWAT members focused their weapons on the hostile boat while Chin and the other SWAT member leaned down and gently lifted Danny into the boat. They then helped Steve into the boat before the SWAT team carefully climbed up the ladder and onto the boat.

Chin leaned over his friends, "Steve, you okay? Danny, how you doing, Brah?"

Steve nodded and moved to kneel next to Danny. "Hey, Babe, how you doing?"

Danny opened his eyes and looked at his two friends. He gave them an exhausted smile, "Better now."

Chin squeezed his shoulder, "Sure you are." Chin put a hand to his ear and nodded. "Copy that. You guys okay to bring that boat in?" He nodded and turned to Steve, "SWAT just checked in. Cooper's dead. They're going to bring that boat in. Let's go get Danny to Malia and Karen."

As the rescue boat turned to return them to the Coast Guard cutter, Chin took a look at Danny's hands still bound behind his back. He shook his head and dug in his pocket for his handcuff keys. "Hang on, Brah, let me get these."

Danny hissed as Chin unlocked the cuffs. His shoulders screamed in pain as he moved his hands in front of him for the first time in two days. The handcuffs had bitten so deep into the flesh on his wrists that Chin was afraid to totally take them off. "Let's wait until Malia can take a look at those."

Steve's eyes hardened as he saw his partner's wrists and started to size up his injuries. He wanted to punch something and without realizing it, his hand balled into a fist. He felt a hand close around his own and he looked down to see his partner staring at him.

"Do I look that bad?" Danny tried to smile.

Steve took a moment to consider his response and then went with a teasing, but truthful, "You look like hell."

"Good. I'd hate to feel this bad and no one noticed."

Chin put a hand on his shoulder, "We got you now. Malia is going to do what she can while we're on our way back to shore."

Danny nodded and closed his eyes while they made their way back to the cutter. Several minutes later, he was being carried on a stretcher down to the very small first aid station.

* * *

><p>Whew! We finally got Danny back.<p>

I live in the Midwest so I'm about as land-locked as you can get it so I don't know surfing, boats or weather patterns in Hawaii. Hopefully, what I've written is believable and not glarinly wrong. Hopefully I'm not asking you to suspend belief any more than the show asks us to do on a weekly basis...


	8. Chapter 8

Malia and Karen watched as the four Five-O teammates carried Danny's stretcher in and placed him gently on the hospital bed in the corner. Kono and Lori leaned down and kissed him on the cheek earning them each a small smile and nod of thanks before they left the room. Chin squeezed his shoulder and went to stand out of the way but stayed just inside the doorway in case he was needed. Steve stood at the head of the bed with his hand resting lightly on his friend's shoulder so he knew he was still there.

"Hey, Danny," Malia leaned over so he could see her. "We're gonna get you out of these wet clothes and then assess your injuries, okay?"

Danny smiled weakly, "I'm too tired to put up a fight."

Steve smirked and winked at Malia and Karen as they began to cut off his clothes, "Don't worry, Partner, I'll make sure they keep their hands to themselves."

As careful as Malia and Karen were, Danny still moaned as they removed his clothes and partially covered him with warm blankets. His hands gripped the side of the bed so hard his knuckles turned white. Steve reached down and grabbed his right hand, "Hang on, Buddy. Just hang on. They'll be able to give you something in a little bit. You're doing great."

"Here," Karen took Danny's free hand and looked at his wrist. "Let me take care of your wrists." She looked up at Steve. "It's going to hurt when I take the handcuff off the rest of the way."

Steve nodded and gripped Danny's hand a little tighter and placed his other hand on the man's shoulder. "Looks like the Jersey slip didn't work this time either, huh, Babe?"

Danny grimaced and tried to pull his hand away from Karen. Malia had to come and help hold his arm still for Karen to work. Steve continued to murmur reassurances to Danny while Danny moaned and squirmed as the cuff finally came off.

"That's it, Buddy, they got it." Steve leaned over his partner and noted the sheen of sweat on his friend's forehead. "Hang on, Danny, I know it hurts, but they'll get you taken care of, okay?'

Danny's eyes slitted open and he managed a weak smile before closing his eyes again. He couldn't suppress another groan as Karen cleaned and wrapped his wrists and Malia began checking for other injuries.

"You're doing great, Danny," Malia encouraged him. "Your knee is a bit banged up but it can wait for now." She began examining Danny's torso eliciting more groans as she tenderly probed his abdomen and began to check his ribs.

Danny's eyes flew open as she hit a particularly painful spot. His body jerked and tried to twist away from her, "Oh, God, that hurts," he moaned. He couldn't stop the tears that sprang to his eyes. He clamped his mouth shut, lips in a hard line, and concentrated on breathing.

"That's it, Danny, just keep breathing. You're okay, Buddy. Just hang on. She's almost done. Hang on," Steve wasn't even sure what he was saying as he tried to soothe his injured friend. His partner's groans were tearing him apart.

"Sorry, Danny," Malia whispered as she continued to probe. "Almost done and we'll see about getting you something for the pain. Okay, Danny, can you open your eyes for me? I'm almost done here."

Steve moved out of her way so she could check Danny's head. She lightly ran her fingers through his hair and didn't notice anything to be concerned about. She checked his eyes and quickly made sure he had no facial injuries other than the bruising and superficial cuts.

"Good, Danny," Malia encouraged. "We're going to get an IV hooked up and we'll be able to give you a painkiller, okay?"

"Thanks, Malia," Danny tried to smile at her. "I appreciate it. Really."

Malia glanced over at Chin, "You're welcome, Danny. You've had all of us worried for a few days. I wanted to do something to help. Try to get some rest." She patted his shoulder gently and then stepped over to where Chin was keeping watch.

"Danny, you gonna be okay a minute?" Steve glanced over at Chin and Malia. "Karen's right here getting you set up with the good drugs. I'll be right back."

Danny nodded, "Yeah, yeah, I don't need a babysitter... wait, who's Karen again?"

Karen finished setting the drip on his IV and came over to stand next to Danny as Steve went to talk to Chin and Malia. "Hey, Detective. I'm Karen. I've been keeping an eye on Commander McGarrett the last couple of days and wanted to come help you as well. I'm a nurse."

"We have our own medical staff now?" Danny muttered. "Why were you keeping an eye on Steve? Oh," understanding dawned, "I remember now. He was shot, wasn't he?"

Karen nodded, but didn't say anything as Danny continued.

"He was shot... he was shot in the head!" Danny practically launched himself off the bed as he looked over at his partner, then collapsed back on the bed groaning and clutching his midsection.

Steve and Chin rushed over at the commotion from Danny. Steve leaned over his partner but wasn't sure what to do with his hands. "Danny? Danny? You okay? What's the matter? What're you doing?"

Danny sucked in a few painful breaths before he opened his eyes and looked at his friend, "I thought... I saw you... there was a lot of blood... I thought you were dead."

Karen looked at Steve, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's okay, he was going to remember eventually." Steve put a hand on Danny's shoulder, "It was just a graze, Danno. I'm okay."

Danny glanced between Chin and Steve and back to Karen again, "You sure? Why do you have a nurse keeping an eye on you then?"

"Governor's orders." Steve shrugged.

Danny narrowed his eyes and this time it wasn't in pain. "Why did the governor order you to have a nurse hanging around?"

Steve shrugged and smirked but didn't say anything.

"Probably because he was trying to walk out of the hospital after getting shot in the head so he could go look for his missing partner rather than staying put for observation." Chin told him softly.

Danny settled back down on the bed again, still staring at his partner. "You know you're an animal, right?"

Steve's smirk got bigger, "So I've been told."

Danny allowed his eyes to close as the pain medication started to take hold of him. He could still feel his partner's eyes on him. "And you have a hard head."

Malia urged Steve and Chin away from the bed and nodded towards the hallway, "He should really rest. Karen will keep an eye on him."

Kono and Lori practically pounced on the trio as they emerged, "How's Danny? He didn't sound so good." Kono wondered.

All eyes turned to Malia, "I've only been able to do a cursory examination at this point, but he really needs to get to the hospital as soon as possible. He's got at least three broken ribs, multiple contusions, a fairly serious knife wound to his left shoulder, his right knee is pretty banged up, his wrists are a mess, and I'm all but certain he has some internal damage. I'm also very concerned about infection."

"I'll go check with the captain and see how long he thinks it will be until we dock." Chin offered.

Steve glanced through the doorway at his partner before looking back at Malia, "Can I sit with him until we dock?"

Before Malia could respond, Lori spoke. "You should change clothes first. You're still soaked."

Steve looked down at his still-wet clothes. He had been so focused on his injured friend that he had forgotten all about his little swim in the ocean to get to Danny.

Kono handed him a bundle of clothes, "Here, one of the crew thought these might fit. Don't worry, we'll go stay with him until you get changed."

"Thanks," Steve nodded and quickly went to find a spot to change.

Kono and Lori quietly approached Danny's bed. Karen smiled and moved out of their way.

"Hey, Danny," Kono touched his shoulder and smiled, "How ya doin'?"

"Been better," Danny managed a small smile. "Thanks for finding me."

Kono shrugged, "It was a team effort."

"Yeah," Lori agreed. "I think you're also going to want to thank Officer Robertson. He figured out who the suspect was."

Danny moved his gaze to look at Lori, "Hey, weren't you on vacation? What are you doing here?"

"Like I could stay gone when I knew you were in trouble." She smiled.

Danny returned her smile, "Well, thanks." Danny's eyes drifted closed.

"The pain meds have kicked in," Karen informed them, checking Danny's pulse. "It's best if he can get some rest."

As Karen finished speaking, Steve hustled into the room with Chin close behind. "We're about fifteen minutes out, and the ambulance is already standing by." Chin informed the group.

"Let's let him rest for a few minutes and then we'll get him ready to transport," Malia instructed. "I want to have him ready to go the second we're docked."

Steve nodded, "Let us know what we need to do when it's time."

"Just keep him calm until then. The pain meds have kicked in but it's likely going to be rough on him to be moved, and there's still going to be some pain."

"We'll go get our gear together and be back in a few to help transfer him," Chin led the rest of the team away so Danny had quiet with just Steve sitting by his side and Karen and Malia conferring quietly across the room.

Steve studied his partner and noticed the pain etched into his face even though he was seemingly asleep. A clenched fist and low moan made Steve lean in and take his partner's hand, "Hold on, Danny. You're doing good. Just hold on."

Despite his weakened condition, Danny's hold on Steve's hand was strong as ever. His eyes remained clenched closed and as much as he tried to stifle the moans, he wasn't able to and the sound alerted Malia and Karen from the other side of the room.

"Danny?" Malia leaned over the injured man. "Where does it hurt?"

Steve's left hand rested on Danny's forehead while his right hand remained gripped firmly by Danny. His worried eyes darted to Malia and then back to Danny as the man didn't answer but continued to moan and squeeze for all he was worth. "Danny? C'mon, man, where does it hurt?"

Danny cracked his eyes open, his pain-filled gaze meeting the worry-filled eyes of his best friend and managed to gasp out, "Abdomen."

"All right, Danny, let me check." Malia gently removed the blanket covering his torso and began to palpate his abdomen.

Danny's scream sent shivers down Steve's spine and stilled Malia's hands. Steve whispered what he hoped were comforting words to his partner though if asked, he would have no idea what he was saying as his mind was consumed with worry for his partner.

"Okay, Danny," Malia replaced the blanket. "Steve, can I have a minute?"

"No," Danny stopped her from taking Steve aside. "I need to know what's going on. Please." He ground out through clenched teeth and shaking breath as he tried to control the waves of pain assaulting him.

"You have internal bleeding, Danny. It looks like it's pretty serious."

"We're gonna get you taken care of, Danno," Steve assured him. "The ambulance is waiting for when we dock. We'll get you right to the hospital."

"There's a surgeon and operating room standing by," Malia told them. "I called and filled them in as best I could. They're already waiting."

"So you have to hang on, Danny," Steve made sure Danny was looking at him. "You got that? You just have to hold on a little longer."

"We'll be docking soon so let's get you ready." Malia started strapping him to the stretcher with Karen's help.

Steve held his partner's gaze and squeezed his hand, "This is probably going to hurt, Buddy."

Danny nodded, "Can't be helped."

Just as Malia finished readying Danny, Chin and the others walked in, "We ready to go?"

"Yes," Malia nodded. "We need to do this nice and steady."

As Steve started to let go of Danny's hand and take a side at the front of the stretcher, Chin stopped him, "Don't worry about it, Brah. I got this. Kono and Lori have the other end. You're needed right there."

Steve leaned over Danny, "We're ready to go, Danno. Just hold on, and we'll get you out of here and fixed up before you know it."

A squeeze of Steve's hand was Danny's only acknowledgement.

Steve had withstood SEAL training, torture, and any number of painful injuries but the act of watching his injured partner as he was carried topside was almost more than the man could take. Danny's pain filled moans tore at his heart.

The ambulance was backed up as close as it could get to the small group as it exited the Coast Guard cutter. Malia and Steve quickly jumped in as they loaded Danny and the paramedics began to work as the ambulance quickly take off.

Steve felt totally useless as he watched the paramedics work and tried to hold back panic when Danny's hand went slack in his own. He glanced up at Malia to see her watching him.

"It's okay," she assured him. "I'm surprised he didn't pass out sooner with all the pain he was in. The trauma team that's waiting is one of the best."

"He's tough. He'll make it," Steve wasn't sure if he was reassuring Malia or himself. His eyes never left his partner's still form until they wheeled Danny into the OR and the doors closed behind him, leaving him alone in the corridor.

* * *

><p>Well, are we all hanging in there okay? Only one more chapter to go.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

_Danny was aware of pain. All encompassing pain. _

_He was hot. Then he was shivering with cold._

_But the pain was a constant. There was a presence by his bedside that was a constant, too. Sometimes, there was more than one, but he was never alone. And when the pain was at its worst, he was comforted with words and gentle hands._

_Despite the comfort and desire to leave the dark place he was in, Danny again gave in to the pain and let the darkness take him where he was aware of nothing. _

H

5

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_The pain was still there. The pain was still all encompassing. _

_He was still hot. Hotter than ever._

_He felt the darkness tugging at him but this time he felt that the darkness was not a healing darkness as before. And there was noise. A lot of noise. He was so tired and ready to just be done with all the pain when he heard a voice. He trusted that voice. Would follow that voice wherever it led. The voice told him to hang on and fight. _

_He fought. _

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Chin and Kono walked into Danny's hospital room to find Steve slouched in the chair at Danny's bedside. His eyes flew open as they entered.

"Hey, Boss," Kono greeted him. "How ya doing?"

Steve glanced at Danny, "Doc says he's holding his own now."

"I asked about you," Kono pointed out. "You've been here for almost three days."

"Yeah," Chin chimed in. "You should go home and get some rest. We'll stay with Danny."

The cousins were not surprised when Steve didn't go for the suggestion, "I can't leave Danny. Not after yesterday."

Steve's thoughts turned to the day before. He had been sitting next to Danny when alarms on the machinery hooked up to his partner had gone off. The nurses had rushed in followed by a doctor. All of Danny's vitals were crashing and once the alarms had been silenced, the doctor looked grim. He didn't expect Danny to last much longer.

Steve had assured the doctor that Danny was a fighter and he'd be just fine. Once the nurses and doctor had done their thing and left them alone again, casting sympathetic glances his way as they left the room, Steve had grabbed Danny's hand and leaned in so he was mere inches from his friend's face, "You fight, Danny. You hear me? You fight this and come back to us." Steve knew it was wishful thinking when he thought he felt Danny's hand squeeze his own.

"Hey, Brah," Chin broke into his thoughts. "At least go get something to eat."

"I will," Steve agreed. "In a while."

"When was the last time you ate, Boss?"

Steve shrugged, "I had something earlier."

"In other words," Chin pointed at him. "You don't remember."

"Well, if you won't go get something to eat," Kono patted his shoulder. "We'll go get you something, and you can eat it here."

Steve watched the cousins leave the room on their mission and turned his attention to his partner again. He studied the readings and though he was no medical professional, he knew enough to realize that Danny's vitals were looking better. Even as he watched, he saw Danny's pulse increase. When he looked at his friend, he could see his eyes moving behind his eyelids.

Steve stood and grabbed Danny's hand, "C'mon, Danno. I know you're in there. C'mon, Danny, you can do it."

_Danny's stomach hurt. His chest hurt. He realized that his whole body hurt. It was dark and cold. Water! He remembered being thrown in the water. His hands were still cuffed behind his back. He couldn't swim - not with his hands cuffed like this. He felt himself sinking and the water rushed into his mouth and nose. He gasped and struggled for air. _

Steve recognized Danny's distress and squeezed his hand tighter, "C'mon, Danny! Wake up. You're okay. I've gotcha. You're gonna be okay. Just wake up. C'mon, Partner."

_Danny heard a voice and wondered why the voice was yelling at him. He couldn't breathe. He was drowning, but the voice kept yelling at him to wake up. Maybe if he tried to wake up the voice would quit yelling at him, and he could drown in peace. _

Steve watched as Danny's eyes moved frantically behind closed lids. Suddenly, they popped open and Danny's body lifted off the bed a little as his mouth opened wide and he gasped for air. Steve leaned down closer, "C'mon, Danny, just breathe. You're okay. Just breathe. Take it easy. There ya go. Just breathe."

Just as Danny started to calm down, two nurses rushed into the room and quickly checked the monitors and their patient. "His pulse is really high and oxygen low." One nurse quickly adjusted an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose while the other adjusted the IV pain medication.

"You're okay, Danny," Steve soothed his friend and glanced at the nurses. "I think he was having a nightmare."

Both nurses nodded and the one adjusting his oxygen smiled at both men, "That's not uncommon. Thankfully, you were here to help him out of it."

Danny's eyes were still a little unfocused and darting nervously around the room. He started to claw at the oxygen mask but Steve's hand stilled him.

"Hey," Steve spoke much like he would to Grace. "Why don't you leave that on for now, Buddy?"

Danny finally focused on Steve and quit battling with the oxygen mask, his breathing evening out a little.

"We've paged the doctor so he should be in soon," one of the nurses informed them as they prepared to leave. "Do you need anything else before we go?"

Steve shook his head, "No. Thank you." he returned his attention to Danny, "Hey, feeling better?"

Danny's eyes fluttered open and closed as he tried to stave off sleep again, but he nodded. His voice came out as a whisper, "Yeah. Thanks."

"You gave us a pretty good scare, Partner."

"Hey, look who's awake!" Kono and Chin returned with a carryout bag from a local deli that was quickly discarded on Steve's chair.

Danny smiled and weakly waved at his two friends.

"He just woke up," Steve informed them. "The doctor should be in soon."

Chin nodded and clapped him gently on the shoulder, "Good to see you awake, Brah. You gave us a scare."

"Yeah, don't ever do that again," Kono agreed as she leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Sorry," Danny whispered, "Try not to."

"It's okay, Danny," Steve noticed Danny's eyes staying closed longer and longer as he blinked, "Get some rest. We'll be right here when you wake up."

Danny nodded without opening his eyes again and they barely heard his response, "Good."

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Several hours later, Danny's awakening was much less intense. He opened his eyes and looked around, momentarily confused as to what had happened. It all came back in a rush as he spotted his teammates nearby. Kono was curled up in the oversized hospital chair with Chin sitting with his back against the chair, legs outstretched in front of him and head tilted back on Kono's knee. Neither one looked particularly comfortable.

Steve was seated against the wall with his long legs bent in front of him, head cradled on top of his arms which were resting on his knees. Danny figured he'd had to sleep like that lots of time during his SEAL days.

Danny didn't want to wake his obviously exhausted friends, but he couldn't hold back the hiss of pain as he attempted to shift on the bed.

Steve was by his side in an instant, hand on Danny's shoulder, eyes crinkled with worry, "Danno, you okay?"

Danny nodded and managed to control his breathing, "Yeah, just hurts to move."

Steve relaxed a little, "The nurse said you can control your pain meds there," he pointed at the nearby button.

Danny waved that suggestion away, "It's not that bad. Besides, they'll make me sleep and I'm tired of sleeping. I don't even know how long I've been here... or how long I was on that damn boat."

"You were missing about 48 hours and you've been in the hospital going on three days now."

Danny shook his head and sighed, "In other words, I've had better weeks."

Steve smiled, "We've all had better weeks, Brother."

"So who was this guy?" Danny questioned. "I mean, other than some psycho who got off on kidnapping cops?"

Steve settled gently on the end of Danny's bed and filled him in on what they knew and what they had pieced together.

By the time Steve was finished, Kono and Chin had woken up, inserting bits and and pieces to the story as needed.

"So you think Officer Robertson will get the wrong idea if I send him a dozen roses?" Danny wondered.

The team laughed, "I think he'd settle for a thank-you." Chin said.

"And are these drugs totally making me loopy or did I not see Lori earlier?" Danny wondered.

Steve nodded, "She came back to help when she heard you were missing, but the governor made her go back to the mainland for some conference before you were even out of surgery."

"I talked to her earlier so she knows you're okay. She said she'll stop in when she's back in town." Kono told him.

Danny nodded, "Good."

"Hey, Buddy, get some sleep, 'kay?" Steve patted his leg.

"Yeah, Brah, get some sleep," Chin agreed.

"Glad you're okay," Kono kissed his cheek.

Danny looked around at each of his teammates. His friends. His family. "Thanks, guys, you're the best. I knew you'd find me somehow and get me out of that mess."

Steve stood and grinned right back at his partner, "We'll always have each other's backs, and next week will be a better week."

They all nodded and the smiles in that room alone was enough to light Oahu for the next year.

"Thanks," Danny said again. He settled back and let his eyes close. A moment later he remembered something that made him open his eyes and stare at his partner. "Did you jump out of a helicopter and into the middle of an ocean?"

Chin and Kono laughed while Steve simply smirked. Things were definitely getting better as they listened to Danny rant at his partner.

* * *

><p>That's all, folks. Thank you to all who read, alerted, reviewed etc. I sincerely appreciate all the comments and kind words I have received for this story. I am so glad so many of you enjoyed reading it. I already have another story in the works and it better not take me as long to write as this one did. After a long hiatus from writing fanfic, I think I've finally got my feet back under me again and I have ideas starting to build in my head for several stories so I just have to get real life to cooperate and give me the time to write. Thanks again, everyone!<p> 


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